Since enacting an aerospace tax incentive in 2003, the industry has grown in Washington, with 38% more employees and a vibrant ecosystem of thriving companies, AWB and other business advocates told a tax oversight panel last week.

Registration for AWB's 2019 Policy Summit will soon be sold out! Don't miss your chance to join us at the beautiful Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum Sept 17-19. Hear from GoldieBlox Founder and CEO Debbie Sterling, and dozens of other compelling speakers. Build connections with fellow business leaders from across the state. Gain insights on tax policy, the state of the economy, entrepreneurship, and much more. Register now!

A Seattle city council member is proposing a ban on natural gas in new homes and construction. In a sign that there might be problems with banning a popular, energy-efficient, low-carbon fuel source, the bill's sponsor is considering exempting restaurants, because "some of the construction experts we've talked to say there aren't great alternatives at the moment for commercial-scale cooking without gas." Seattle Times columnist Danny Westneat also notes that regional clean air officials still promote natural gas as a cleaner, greener alternative to wood stoves.

Applications are being accepted now for the annual Holiday Kids' Tree Project. AWB members have donated more than $420,000 over the past 30 years to help families in need during the holiday season. Fire departments help us distribute that money in the form of toys and gifts. Now is the time for rural fire districts to apply to be part of this year's program. Employers with contacts in the firefighting community are being asked to spread the word.

Policy Summit is back! One of our most popular events, this one often sells out. Make connections and engage in high-level, statewide policy discussions. Learn about the current outlook on issues that impact your business and the communities where we live and work. Save your spot! #AWBsummit19

"From the fish's perspective, it's swim in, slide and glide." ~ Vincent Bryan III, CEO of Whooshh Innovations. His company's "Salmon Cannon," which will debut to the public this Tuesday from 1-3 p.m. at the Chief Joseph Dam on the Columbia River, sends fish gently through long flexible tubes, and it seen as a way to help restore fisheries above hydroelectric dams.

If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, please contact members@awb.org.

Lawmakers are suing Inslee for a series of one-sentence vetoes in the state's nearly $10 billion transportation budget...

In a moment of institutional solidarity, Democrats and Republicans on the House Executive Rules Committee and the Senate Facilities & Operations Committee voted unanimously to sue.

Yes, lawmakers could have convened for a vote and overridden Inslee's vetoes with a two-thirds majority of both chambers. But both parties wisely considered the importance of precedent...

Meanwhile, legislators are still smarting from another bit of sleight of hand from Inslee, which he also used to manipulate the transportation budget to his liking.

The governor snatched $175 million in leftover funds that lawmakers had appropriated for transportation projects. He redirected the money toward removing road culverts that block fish passage, a mammoth undertaking that will take several years and cost billions of dollars...

We hope Inslee, who's seeking a third term as governor after withdrawing from the Democratic presidential field, has learned a little something about executive power.

By U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Tom Gurr, executive director of the Pacific Technology Alliance

As technology becomes increasingly integrated into our businesses, health care, and education systems, it's more important than ever to ensure that all Americans, especially those in rural areas, have access to a high-speed internet connection.

In visiting communities around our state, meeting with people on the ground, and listening to what they have to say, we're reminded that there is a significant portion of residents who don't have access to this critical technology...

High-speed broadband networks are as important as any other type of infrastructure in the 21st century. We all recognize the logistical and financial constraints of bringing broadband networks to remote or sparsely populated areas. But this technology is critical to daily life, and rural residents deserve access to the same opportunities for education, health care and economic development as people living in larger cities like Spokane. It's up to us to work together to make that happen.